Recognizing the Stages of Adrenal Dysfunction

Recognizing the Stages of Adrenal Dysfunction

The resistance phase is a common response to chronic stress and manifests as high cortisol levels. If the chronic stress persists, the next phase is known as the exhaustion phase, and manifests as low cortisol levels. One could then think of these phases as a tendency towards either Cushing’s syndrome (high cortisol) or Addison’s syndrome (low cortisol).